FUTURE PLANS

Our target of sterilizing 400 dogs per month has been achieved. We have also spread our wings to other territories like Navi Mumbai and Neral, and also started a 'Free Mobile Clinic for Street Animals'.

Now our future plans include construction of a cat runner, an aviary for injured birds, a puppy pen and an OPD at Deonar Centre. We also plan to expand the Vashi center to have additional kennels, to house cases of ill or injured animals that cannot be neglected.

Our most ambitious project is to start a hospital for animals, where all animals that need treatment - including small animals, birds and large animals like cows, bullocks, buffaloes, ponies, donkeys can receive excellent treatment."

However the immediate item on our agenda is Free Mobile Clinic for Navi Mumbai and a Free Mobile Clinic for horses at Neral.

In the second phase facilities for treatment to large animals like cows, bullocks, buffaloes, ponies, mules and donkeys, is on the agenda. Thereafter will come the 'x-ray Unit' and a basic 'Pathology Lab.'

When this happens IDA INDIA will be a full fledged mini hospital for animals in the eastern suburb of mumbai.

FUTURE GOALS

Some of the issues that IDA INDIA hopes to take up, but cannot do so due to lack of volunteers:

Bullocks:

Bullocks work relentlessly throughout the day, in sun and rain, through the heavy traffic on the streets of Mumbai. They are beaten mercilessly and kicked, to make them walk faster or to run. On top of it, they have no shelter where they can rest after a hard day's work. They usually spend the night on the street tied to their own carts, where they have no protection from the rain. Their resting place is such that they cannot even sit down, as the area where they are tied is absolutely dirty with their own muck. So all their life they face the brunt of a hot sun and heavy rain. Being people of limited means, the bullock cart "owners" do not take good care of their animals that slave for them. They rarely take them to vets, and instead treat them with their own herbal medicines. They never vaccinate them, with the result during the monsoon season they suffer from Foot & Mouth Disease or HS & BQ (Haemorrhaegic Septicemia & Black Quarter) - both very painful conditions. The saddest part of the story is that after working so hard all their lives, they never get any retirement. When they become old and unproductive, they land in the slaughter houses. This is how we treat these animals, who work without any expectation of wages, bonus, weekly holidays, etc. All they ask for is a little kindness and compassion.

To help these animals what we need to do is:

Most of the bullock carts in Mumbai are used to cart kerosene, ice and sugarcane. It must be made compulsory for all these cart owners to carry fitness certificates of the bullocks issued by Bombay SPCA. That will make it necessary for every cart "owner" to bring his animal to Bombay SPCA for a check up, in order to obtain such a certificate.

The oil companies that use bullocks to cart kerosene, must provide the animals with a decent shed to house them when they are not working. These companies have plenty of space available near their refineries, on which they can easily construct sheds. These oil companies must treat these animals as they would treat their contract workers, and provide them with basic needs like shelter, food, water and medical aid.

The bullock carts carting ice are usually of old design with wooden wheels. The design of these carts needs to be changed, so that the carts have rubber tyres thereby reducing the neck load on the bullock.

Circus animals:

Wild animals have no place in a crowded city, and certainly not in a cage. They are genetically adapted to a particular life style, and have their own habits of eating food, marking their territory, socializing, etc. The concept of a zoo ruins all this natural behavioral aspects, under the pretext of education. Worst is the case of 'circus' animals, who are not only deprived of their natural lifestyle, but they are also made to walk on their hind legs, ride a motor-cycle, etc. It has been amply proved that while animals cannot speak or complain, they can most certain feel the humiliation, through which they are put, by forcing them into such acts before large crowds. The monkeys are closest to humans and have intelligence of a related child. When we cannot imagine putting a retarded child through such trauma, how can we permit such treatment to an animal that is equally intelligent, but totally helpless?

The circus trade is inherently sinful and gives wrong signals to children. They teach children to look at fellow living creatures merely as objects of pleasure and entertainment. There is absolutely no education in all this.

To help these animals, the need of the hour is:

To liaison with the Municipal Corporation to see that they do not lease out land to the circuses that have animal acts, to vigorously spread the message through the print and electronic media, so that school children do not enjoy going to such shows.

Vivi-Section in school:

Vivi-section of frogs, earthworms, cockroaches, etc. at the high school and junior college levels has to banned immediately, especially when computer aided information is available to impart knowledge to students to students. The first step is to make it it optional, so that children are not forced into committing heinous act, and the next step is to bring in a total ban.

It's not just funds and homes that our dear animals need. You can contribute your time and energy to bring about a difference.